Is there anything more comforting than warm, creamy beans on a cold night outside? Well, perhaps said beans in a lovely soup.
I am more than ready for the fall and winter days ahead with an embarrassing amount of Rancho Gordo beans in our pantry. I started my seasonal bean preparation with an impromptu weeknight pinto bean dish a few weeks ago.
These beans were flavorful, but both not as complex or time consuming as my favorite pinto bean approach to date - the Cook's Illustrated Drunken Beans. I also learned the appropriate (soaked) pinto beans Instant Post cooking time - 31 - 33 minutes - something I learned after starting the cooking settings for 25 minutes, then adding another 7 minutes after the beans were not fully cooked. As I look for comforting, simple bean dishes this year, this recipe will become a staple!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pinto beans, soaked in water for 6 hours
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 1/4 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 small tomato, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp chile powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- Shake of dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- salt, to taste
- cilantro, chopped (optional - for garnish)
Directions
- Drain soaked beans and add ~1 cup fresh water, oregano, and bay leaf to the Instant Pot inner pot.
- Set the cooking settings to 31 minutes on high pressure. Ensure the safety valve is closed.
- After the cook time is over, let the pressure cooker go through its natural pressure release process (~20 minutes)
- Then check the beans to ensure they are your desired consistency. Switch the Instant Pot setting to saute, and add remaining ingredients, including 1 tsp. of salt to taste.
- Cook for an additional 7 - 10 minutes until the beans absorb the flavor of the seasonings. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve immediately.